When members of local band Junkyard Angel traveled to Nashville to record a CD, it was the experience of a lifetime.Junkyard Angel features Stewart Marshall on vocals and electric and rhythm guitar, Jim Marshall on vocals and acoustic guitar, Scotty Rahn on lead guitar and vocals, Scott Tanner on bass and drummer Joe Ippolito.“We recorded it in Nashville at Skyville Studios with a guy named Nick Worley, whose dad is Paul Worley,” Rahn says. “Paul Worley is a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning producer who’s worked with The Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride and Lady Antebellum.“Silent Hero” is Junkyard Angel’s follow-up to “Medicine Jar,” the band’s first album, which was released in 2009. The album was produced by Nick Worley and Junkyard Angel, and additional engineering was done with Shane Baldwin at Elevated Basement Studio in Savannah.The members of Junkyard Angel have been together since 2005. “We all love music and we all love playing music,” Rahn says.“To be playing with guys like Stewart and Jim Marshall, who have been singing together since forever, is great. Their harmonies are so tight.“And we all get along,” Rahn says. “We’re kind of like family. We’re lucky to be in the same group together.”Original music is a hallmark of Junkyard Angel.“We typically write individually,” Rahn says. “I’ve been called the chief songwriter. I really love Jim’s songwriting. Stewart wrote two songs for this album. I have a handful that didn’t get on the album.“The style they’re in didn’t quite fit, so I’m going to save them for the next record,” Rahn says.Junkyard Angel no longer tours and plays an average of just once a month.“Everybody’s got jobs, wives, kids and lives,” says Stewart Marshall.Putting the album together was fun. “It was a joy because during the last four-year period, we’ve all been writing and playing with other groups,” Marshall says.There was no lack of material to record.“My brother, Jim, who lives in Charleston, was bringing material to table,” Marshall says. “By the time Scotty came back into the picture six to seven months ago, we had all this other material he’d been working on in his leave of absence.“We had a huge selection of songs. It felt like riding a bike. We were back in the groove.”Not that the project didn’t require some scheduling.“The band members, with all their jobs, had to pick a weekend we all could get together,” Marshall says.“We had time to go to Nashville. We had the opportunity to record at Skyville Studios, where Lady Antebellum records.“We were able to get up there and do 13 songs in two days,” Marshall says. “We covered a lot of ground.”Stewart Marshall was a co-founding member of Stewart and Winfield as well as Junkyard Angel. He has shared the bill with Willie Nelson, The Jayhawks, the Zac Brown band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Taj Mahal, The Radiators, Blues Traveler, AllGood, Jupiter Coyote, Widespread Panic, Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, Edwin McCain, Kevn Kinney, The Blue Dogs and the Derek Trucks Band.“When we started Junkyard Angel back in 2005, Stewart and Winfield had come off the road,” Marshall says. “I started Rock the Cure, a benefit for the American Diabetes Association. We pulled together the resources to have a big band concert.“I spoke with Scotty Rahn about doing a cover band for my brother, Joe, who does a Mick Jagger impersonation,” Marshall says. “He was killing karaoke bars and making a tour of Savannah.”The result was Monkey Man, a Rolling Stones tribute band. When Joe had to scale back, Junkyard Angel was formed.“The name came from a Bob Dylan song,” Marshall says. “It fit the band so well, because we are a ragtag bunch.”At the CD release, Junkyard Angels will do a mixture of songs from both albums.“There might be a couple of other surprises and we might have some guest musicians,” Marshall says. “My sister, Margaret Marshall Bishop, sang on the record, too. It really was a family and close friend effort.“My aunt, Ann Marshall Bailey, is a co-writer on two of the songs,” he says. “She stepped in and helped us with the cover art and sketched from a photo of one of our resident characters, Howard Moore, the Sandfly Shaman, who is very spiritual and was a writer for Johnny Cash. He also grew up on Isle of Hope.”Released by Cedar Hammock Records, “Silent Hero” costs $10 and is available at iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, cdbaby.com, at junkyardangel.net or by contacting Marshall atmsmarshalljr@comcast.net. It also will be available at the release party.“We’ll play songs from the new one and the first one,” Rahn says. “The audience is going to hear a set of 90 percent original material.“We’ll throw in a couple of covers for good measure, but we’ve never been a cover band,” he says. “We never play the standard cover. The songs we cover are off the beaten path.”

A new beginning for Junkyard Angelby Bill DeYoung Connect SavannahIntroducing the best Savannah band you might never have heard of.Junkyard Angel makes raucous, rootsy music with a deep country-rock flavor, with echoes of vintage 1966 Dylan and bits of the Stones, the Burritos, Waylon, Willie and even Asleep at the Wheel tossed into the mix.The band has been around for five years or more, and in 2009 made what might have been that year's coolest local record, Medicine Jar.In an instant, Junkyard Angel all but disappeared.That's because guitarist Scotty Rahn, who also writes the lion's share of the songs, had to bow out due to health issues.Things have changed, happily for the better, and the band is back this week with an all-new set of tunes. Recorded at Skyville Studios in Nashville, Silent Hero is even more brazen fun than Medicine Jar."We cut 14 songs in three days," explains Stewart Marshall, one of the band's singer/guitarists. "We really just hammered 'em out. We were so excited to be there. I think a lot of it was adrenaline. We didn't do anything else."Junkyard Angel celebrates the new release with a show Friday, June 14, at Bonna Bella Marina.That unusual choice of venue should be your first clue that Junkyard Angel is a band that plays by — and adheres to — its own rules."Everybody's got jobs and families, so we're kind of tapped for time," Marshall says. "Except for my brother Jim, all of us are in our mid 40s. Between kids, soccer, lacrosse, football and karate ... one of the reasons I guess we're all in Junkyard is because we want it to work. So to put this record out is really just a labor of love."Marshall, of course, was (and is) one-half of Stewart and Winfield, one of the region's most popular and successful touring acts of the last decade (the other fellow is Winfield Smith).Stewart and Jim also gig around, when they can, as the Marshall Brothers.See, the things is, there's another fly in this particular ointment. Jim Marshall lives in Johns Island, just outside of Charleston. And Allen Hughes, the band's all-purpose string master (he plays killer pedal steel, fiddle, Dobro and a half dozen others) is a resident of Athens.Although drummer Joe Ippolito and bassist Scott Tanner live in the Savannah area, it's obviously not easy getting everyone together at the same time.During Rahn's recuperation, Wormsleow's Andrew Gill filled in with the band. When it came time to head to Tennessee to cut the tracks forSilent Hero, Gill — who also plays lead guitar for the Marshall Brothers — graciously stepped aside to make room for Junkyard's co-founder and songsmith.Don't expect to see the revitalized band turning up all over town, however. After spending seven years on the road with Winfield Smith, pretty much nonstop, Marshall is determined to avoid playing in some club or other every night of the week."I've been there, I've done that," he says, "and I think if we can strike a healthy balance of playing a certain amount of shows in any given two-month period or something like that, we'll have perspective."In order to properly build a market, you've really got to be a little more calculating about it, and not play every single gig that's offered to you."And then there's this: The June 14 performance starts at 7 p.m. and will wind up at 10. "It's family-friendly," Marshall laughs. "This way, nobody has to hire a babysitter."

Savannah Morning News Deceber 8, 2010

By Linda Sickler The third time's the charm. A holiday concert fundraiser held for the past two years has been so successful that it's returning.The 3rd Annual Yuletide Jam Benefit for America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia will be held Friday to raise money to put food on the tables of the area's needy."We started this three years ago as a benefit for Second Harvest," said musician Stewart Marshall of acoustic duo Stewart & Wingfield and the band Junkyard Angel. "Through my contacts with the music community and other bands, we were able to put together a collective of musicians who are trying to raise money for the cause."America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia was founded in 1981 and works with nonprofit agencies to distribute food to families in southeastern Georgia. The group obtains and distributes donated food, trains people for food industry jobs, conducts a "Kids Cafe" program, and helps senior citizens by providing monthly bags of groceries.Though it's tough around the holidays to get everyone together, Marshall said the event has grown over the years. "Most musicians who have participated come back," he said. "We've decided to make it happen and keep it going until eventually we can turn it into an event that garners more attention outside the Savannah area and draws people from all over."Music isn't the only draw. Vendors will donate products and gift certificates for a raffle."We're going to be filming a documentary and would encourage participation for that," Marshall said. "It's being filmed by a company called Lowcountry Media and is sort of a Christmastime 'Last Waltz.' We're going to document this for the season and to cap off the decade."Second Harvest is a cause that Marshall has been involved with for some time. "The need is growing, especially with the economy being as poor as it is," he said. "We've got people who have been out of jobs for so long they really are in need of a meal."Everyone is affected in some way," Marshall said. "It seems like the poverty level has really grown in numbers recently."In some ways, the event will be a family affair for Marshall, who will perform with his brother, Jim, in Junkyard Angel, and his sister, Margaret, in Rock'n Chair during the evening. With Winfield Smith, Marshall will perform an acoustic set."We've been playing together for 21 years," Marshall said. "We went to the same high school and each had bands in high school. We started playing together at the University of Georgia."After putting themselves through school with their music, Stewart & Winfield have continued to play, record and tour. "We still keep it fresh and new," Marshall said.Marshall is associated with several nonprofit organizations, and organized Rock the Cure 2005. He put together the first Yuletide Jam, which was held at Trustees Theater."It was such a huge success it galvanized us to do something yearly," Marshall said. "It really raised the bar as far as I was concerned about being able to give something back to community."This year's concert will be held at Sandfly Sports Cafe. "That's really my back yard," Marshall said. "I grew up in that area and am very involved with the community."

Review by Nashville Songwriting Legend Tony Arata!

"the Dead meet Bromberg and Pure Prairie League....all good, all raw and all fresh...good stuff....while i enjoyed every cut, hands down favorite was Wrecker's Ball - that is one of the most haunting recordings i have heard in a long time.....so well under-done, and i mean that as a compliment"-Tony Arata, Nashville songwriter, penned "The Dance", recorded and performed by Garth Brooks, and won song of the year by The Academy of Country Music, CMA and Grammy nomination, and most performed song in Radio and Records Magazine.

Charleston City Paper - October 22, 2009Junkyard Angel When: Sat., Oct. 24 Used, abused, and rhinestone-infused … that’s how the guitar-strumming Brothers Marshall (Stewart and Jim) refer to the music, style, and soul of their Peach State twang-rock band Junkyard Angel. With strong ties to UGA, the Marshalls regularly traverse the corridor in East Georgia between the Savannah lowcountry to the Athens foothills and back. Stewart (pictured) is best known in both towns as one of the two frontmen in the roots-rock veteran act Stewart & Winfield (alongside Winfield Smith). Other members include lead guitarist and banjo player Scotty Rahn, drummer Joe Ippolito, and bassist Scott Tanner. The sextet recently released a full-length studio album titled Medicine Jar on the Cedar Hammock Records label. The melodic, slow-drawl collection of tunes draws from The Eagles, Steve Earle, The Jayhawks, and Uncle Tupelo — with a very healthy dose of vintage outlaw country and Willie Nelson. They bring their peachy music to Sullivan’s Island this Saturday. — T. Ballard Lesemann

Savannah Morning News September 16, 2010by Adrian Stowers

Bloodkin, Stewart and Winfield with Junkyard AngelSaturday night will also be a night to remember for Southern roots rock fans when Bloodkin and Stewart and Winfield perform at Locos. Both bands carry with them a reputation for strong and emotional songwriting and putting on impressive live shows.Bloodkin is touring in support of their latest album "Baby, They Told Us We Would Rise Again," which has received rave reviews from Southern music press as well as press all over the U.S. The band hopes to convert more fans with their intense live show, which has been perfected by years of touring and playing together.Stewart and Winfield boast a style that is part country, part rock, but all honest and true. The band is still supporting its 2008 release of "Sandy Britches," which showcased both new songs and some reworked songs from the band's past. The duo have been playing together since 1989 and are guaranteed to impress fans of Southern, country-influenced rock.Support for this show will come from Junkyard Angel, which is Stewart Marshall's (of Stewart and Winfield) side project. The band plays what its myspace page calls "liquor drenched 'Cosmic Americana' from the old days of redneck rock."Fans of Southern rock will not want to miss this night filled with some of the best this genre has to offer.IF YOU GOWhat: Bloodkin and Stewart and Winfield with Junkyard AngelWhen: SaturdayWhere: Locos Grill and Pub, 301 W. Broughton St.

Local band Junkyard Angel comes of age

Savannah Morning NewsEmily Goldman | Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Junkyard Angel, a local group fronted by Stewart Marshall, of the southern rock band Stewart and Winfield, will play at Grayson Stadium before the Sand Gnats vs. Hickory Crawdads game Saturday.When Junkyard Angel got together more than five years ago, they were more focused on the party than the music. Now, after the release of their first album, making original lowcountry music is their only goal. Junkyard Angel will play a tailgate-style show in front of Grayson Stadium prior to Saturday's Sand Gnats vs. Hickory Crawdads baseball game. Loosely a mix of Steve Earle and The Rolling Stones, Junkyard Angel's front man Stewart Marshall calls its music "used, abused and rhinestone-infused." Marshall, known for his work in Southern rock band Stewart and Winfield, described Junkyard Angel's first album "Medicine Jar" as old-school country. "If you listen to it you can hear elements of bluegrass in there and a lot of pedal steel," Marshall said. Scotty Rahn, lead guitar and vocalist, penned the majority of the songs on the album including "Ludowici Speedtrap." Most of the members of Junkyard Angel have spent more than 20 years performing music in pubs and clubs in the Southeast. When Junkyard Angel started off playing gigs at local venues like O'Connell's Irish Pub - now a Paula Deen gift store on Congress Street - the band was only a side project. With the average age of the band members pushing 40, Junkyard Angel's music is coming of age. "I listened, the other day, to some old tapes from O'Connell's. You could hear more drinking in the background than music," Marshall said, noting how the band has evolved. "It's really a matter of taking a stronger look at the song, rather than just getting up there and beating the instruments." But a band who stole their name can't take themselves too seriously. The name Junkyard Angel was taken from another local musician, Marshall said. While playing together at Sandfly's Driftaway Cafe, Marshall and musician Jeff Beasley tossed around ideas for band names. Marshall recalls Beasley saying: "I've got a perfect name, but you can't use it." Beasley tossed out Junkyard Angel, gleaned from Bob Dylan's "From A Buick 6" song. The name fit the group's sound so well, Marshall couldn't resist claiming it. "Our music has ethereal sibling harmonies over a honky-tonk salvage yard full of grand ole Southern American music," Marshall said. "We had to take it, the time was right."

Athens Banner-Herald | 6/25/2009

• Junkyard Angel (11 p.m. Saturday, Rye Bar) - Comprised of members from such notable outfits as Stewart & Winfield, Park Bench Band and Remy Zero, the Savannah-based Junkyard Angel is a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n' roll. The band's debut album, "Medicine Jar," was released earlier this spring.

11th Hour, Statesboro, GACritic's Picks-Junkyard Angel, March 27 @ French Quarter Cafe"As the name suggests, these guys are about that particular attitude in southern rock and country, that Johnny Cash, Woodie Guthrie "wrong side of the tracks" growling and sound. With these guys, it isn't just about losing the dog and the horse, but here the horse ate the dog, got run over by the tractor, and then the tractor got it's gears jammed with a guitar. Imagine Hank Williams with painful hemmorroids and it sounds about the same." March 2009

Savannah Connect - Junkyard Angel: With members drawn from notable groups on both the Savannah and Athens alt.country scenes, this gritty, "Cosmic American" roots-rock sextet has a fairly distinguished pedigree. Lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist Stewart Marshall made a name for himself in the late '90s as one of the leaders of the nationally touring "Y'allternative" band Stewart & Winfield, and other members have done stints in The Park Bench Trio, Remy Zero and other established acts. Their sound is a slow-cooked goulash of wine-soaked No Depression clichés (which in this context is a positive rather than a negative). Those who appreciate the woozy, beleaguered, pedal steel-glazed ennui of vintage Steve Earle, Jayhawks or Gram Parsons records will find Junkyard Angel's well-chosen covers and bittersweet pastiches of classic rock and roadhouse country a fine complement to a cold beer and a momentary twinge of regret for a lost love. Listen & Learn: myspace.com/1junkyardangel. 21+ only w/ID. Sat., 11 pm, Locos (downtown). By Jim Reed |April 22, 2008(Music: Noteworthy)

Savannah Connect - Junkyard Angel: This group seems to play rather infrequently, which probably has something to do with the fact that their members are split between Savannah and Athens. With a handle straight off of Highway 61 Revisited, and a loose and caterwauling way with Cosmic American covers like Neil Young’s “Cowgirl In The Sand”, Townes Van Zandt’s “Waitin’ Around To Die”, and Uncle Tupelo’s “Give Me Back The Key To My Heart”, it’s no wonder the rip-snortin’ combo anchored by Stewart & Winfield’s Stewart Marshall and his younger brother Jim (of Backwoods) describes their setlist as “Used, abused, rhinestone-infused tunes.”Much like their obvious touchstones Dylan, The Dead and The Stones, theirs is the province of the joyously sorrowful. Also along for the ride: guitarist Scotty Rahn, ace Bloodkin bassist David Nickle and —at times— pedal steel guitarist A.J. Adams. This gig finds them jamming unexpectedly at one of the area’s best kept secrets, a laid-back marina restaurant with a great view of the water. Sat., 3 pm, Bonna Bella Yacht Club (2470 Livingston Ave.). By Jim Reed |December 19, 2007(Music: Noteworthy)

Savannah Connect - Junkyard Angel: Free show by a regional group (whose members hail from Savannah and Athens) plays reverent interpretations of soulful classic rock-style tunes based around country and blues. Their vibe is a mixture of Rolling Stones posturing and The Drive-By Truckers’ studied red clay grit. Featuring members of Stewart & Winfield. Sat., 1 pm, Bonna Bella Yacht Club. By Jim Reed |May 9, 2007(Music: Noteworthy)

Despite the fact that the frontman and songwriter of The Codetalkers lives in Savannah, it’s extremely rare that either Bobby Lee Rodgers or his band play a local gig. In the past few years, the only chance folks in this area have had to catch their critically-acclaimed take on jazz and jam-influenced pop and rock has been courtesy of the Savannah Music Festival, which booked the group a few times back when they were augmented by the legendary avant-fusion guitarist Col. Bruce Hampton (of the Aquarium Rescue Unit). Meanwhile, guitarist and banjoist Rodgers —who’s gigged with the likes of Grammy-nominated blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin and Widespread Panic and The Dead guitarist Jimmy Herring — graced the stages of Bonnaroo, Vegoose and other large, eclectic music fests.

Now, the former Berklee College of Music professor plays a rare duo show (backed by Codetalkers drummer/percussionist Tyler Greenwell) to benefit this church’s Youth Group Outreach Program. Also on the bill is Junkyard Angel, a great roots-rock combo made up of both Savannah and Athens-based players, featuring the well-known singer/songwriter Stewart Marshall (of Stewart & Winfield fame). Tickets are $10 and refreshments will be available. Audience members are encouraged to bring chairs to this outdoor show. Sun., 5 pm, St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Isle of Hope) - ALL-AGES.

Article from AthensMusic.net October 22, 2005 @ Gus Garcia's - Junkyard Angel is the newest honky tonk project featuring Stewart Marshall (Stewart and Winfield) on vocals and guitar, his brother Jim Marshall (Backwoods) on guitar and vocals, David Nickel on bass, Rick Williams on drums and vocals, Scotty Rahn on lead guitar and vocals. Maybe Carlton Owens on the drums? Maybe AJ Adams on the...who knows what? What can't he play? It is a lot of old school country and rock that is drawing on the likes of Gram Parsons, Johnny Cash, The Byrds, and the Flying Burrito Brothers.